Old Fashioned Southern Style Fig Preserves

An heirloom recipe handed down from my great aunt Corinne from Ozark, AL (1905-1997).

Prep Time20minutes

Cook Time1hour30minutes

Total Time1hour50minutes

Servings10jars

AuthorLise Ode

Ingredients

1gallonFigs

Sugar(equal amounts sugar/figs)

Water(enough to cover figs in pot)

Lemon slices(Enough to have one slice per jar)

Instructions

Try to select figs of equal ripeness. Wash.

Cut stems a wee bit around, do not expose inside of figs. If extra ripe, don’t worry, just get stem.

Sugar is measure for measure but I like it rounded for figs. So not quite equal measure.

Put sugar over figs. Cover. Put aside until morning. (If you cook right away keep your heat low to begin with.) (Water added here.) Water different for juice. I’d say if over night, it will turn into juice so you won’t add much then. If cooking right away, try 1/4 measured to fig measure. I like to have juice to cover figs in jars. Left over juice can be used for another cooking of figs.

Cook slowly. Makes better figs & syrup. Might be longer cooking. You judge by your syrup thickness. Keep boiling gently. Your bubbles will show a good syrup. Little water can be added if juice gets low. Sometimes 2 or so hours. Try a fig.

Put in jars but don’t seal. Place in hot water bath. Cook until sealed. Will Pop.

Recipe Notes

Uncle Larry suggests cooking them on low for one and a half hours.

He says: My average yield from one fig tree is two gallons of figs which makes about 20 (8-oz) jars of preserves.